The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-06

the fault Of the vessels that, passing On the
high seas, would have been glad to furnish re.
lief if it had been only askedi In other words,
my brother, if you miss heaven it will be
your own fault
No one cares for your soul! Why, in all the
ages there have been men whose entire busi-
ness was soul saving. In this work Munson
went down under the knives Of the cannibals
whom he had come to save. and Robert Nc
Cheyne preached himself to death by thirty
years Of age, and John Bunyan was thrown
into dungeon in Bedfordshire, and Jehudi
Ashman endured all the malarias of the Afri-
can jungle; and there are hundreds and thou
sands Of Christian men and women now who
are praying, toiling, preaching, living, dying,
to save souls.
No one cares for your soull Have you heard
how Christ feels about itl know it was
only nve or six miles from Bethlehem to
Calvary, the birthplace and the deathplace
of Christ; but who can tell how many miles
it was from the throne to the mangers How
many miles down, how many miles back
again? The place Of his departure was the
thrones facing bis throne; his name the chorus
in every song and the inscription on every
banner; his landing place cattle pen, NAL
odorous with unwashed brutes, and dogs
growing in and out Of the stable. Born
Of weary mother who had journeyed
eighty miles in severe unhealth that she
might find the right place for the Lords ma
tivity-born, not as other princes, under tho
fash Of chandelier, but under lantern
swung by a rope to the roof Of the barn. In
that place Christ started to save you. Your
name, your face, your time, your eternity,
in Christ's mind Sometimes travelling on
mules back to escape old Herod's massacre.
sometimes attempting nervous sleep on the
chilly hillside, sometimes earning his break
fast by the carpentry of plow. In Quaran.
tania the stones Of the field, by their shape
tantalizing his hunger. Yet all the time
keeping on after you With drenched coat
treading the surf at Genessaret. Howled after
by q bloodthirsty mob. Denounced as a
drunkard. Mourning over doomed city,
while others shouted at the sight of tho shim-
mering towers. ALI the time coming on and
coming on to save you. Indicted as being a
traitor against government, perjured wit
nesses swearing their souls away to insure
his butchery. Flogged, spit on, slapped in
the face and then hoisted on rough lumber,
In sight of earth and heaven and hell to
purchase your eternal emancipation. From
the first infant step to the last step Of man.
hood on the sharp spike of Calvary journey
for you. Oh! how he cared for your sou1l
By dolorous arithmetic add up the stable, the
wintry tempest, tho midnight dampness. the
abstinence OF forty days from food, the brutal
Sanhedrim, the heights of Golgotha, across
furies Of hell charged with their bayonets, and
then dare to say az ain that no one cares for
your soul.
A young man might as well go off from
home and give his father and mother no inti-
nation as to where he has gone, and, cross
ing the seas, sitting down in some foreign
country, cold; sick and hungry and lonely,
saying: "My father and mother don't care
anything about me-" Do not care anything
about him! Why, that fathers hair has
turned gray since his son went of. He has
written to all the consuls in the foreign ports,
asking about that son. Does not the mother
care anything about himl He has broken her
heart. She has never smiled since he went
away. All day long, and almost all night,
she keeps asking: sWhere is he9 Where can
be beT'' He is the first thought in her prayer
and the last thought in her prayer, the first
thought in the morning and the last at night.
She says: "Oh, God, bring back my boy! l
must see him again before die. Where Is
be? must see him again before die. "Oh,
do not his father and mother care for himi
You go away from your Heavenly Father,
and you think he does not care for you
because you will not even read the letters by
which he invites you to come back, while
all heaven is waiting, and waiting, and wait
ing for you to return. A young man said to
his father: ~ am going of; will write to
you at the end of seven years and tell you
where am" Many years have passed along
since that son went away, and for years the
father has been going to the depot
train. and when he hears the whistle in the
distance he is thrilled with excitement, and
he waits until all the passengers have CONG
out, and then he waits until the train has
gone clear out Of sight again, and then he
goes home, Fastening back to the next train
and he will be at every train until that son
comes back, unless the son waits until the
father be dead. But oh, the greater patienca
Of Godl He has been waiting for you, not
seven years, not nine years, but for some OF
you, twenty years, thirty years. forty years,
fifty years-waiting, calling-waiting, calling
until nothing but ominpotent patience could
have endured it. Oh, my brother, do not take
the sentiment Of my text as your sentiment.
We do care for your soul. One Sabbath
night, years ago. in my church in Brook
lyn, young man appeared at the end OF the
of the sea-" said: "When did you arrivef
Said he: "I came into port this afternoon.
was in great blow Off Cape Hatteras this
last week, and 1 thought that might as
well go to heaven as to hell.
thought the ship would sink; but, sir,
I never very seriously thought about
nv soul until tonight" I said to him: "Do
YOU feel that Christ is able and willing to
save youT' "Oh, yes" he replied, ~ do"
"W ell" said, ''now are you willing to come
and be saved by Him~ ~ am," he said.
about to offer, give yourself to God for time
and eternityq' 81 WILL" he said. Then we
knelt in prayer, and after we had got
through praying, he told me that the great
transformation had taken place. could not
doubt it, He is on the sea now. l do not
know what other port he may gain or lose,
but think he will gain the harbor OF heaven
Star Of peace, beam DER the billow,
Bless the soul that sighs for Thee:
Bless the sailors lonely pillow,
Far, far at sea.
It was sudden conversion with him that
night. Oh, that it might be sudden conver'
sion with you to-day! God can save you In
one moment as we'll as he can in century.
There are sudden deaths, sudden calamities
sudden losses. Why not sudden deliyerances
Gods spirit is infinite in speed. He comes
here with omnipotent power, and he is ready
here and now, instantaneously and forever
to save your soul. believe that multitude
Of you will to-day come to God. feel you
are coming, and you will bring along your
families and your friends with you
They have heard in heaven already Of
the step you are are about to take. The
news has been cried along the golden streets
and has rung out from the towers: "a SOU
saved! A soul saved" But there is some
one here to-day who will reject this gospel
He will stay out of the kingdom of God him
SELF He will keep his family and his friends
out. 1t is dreadful thing for man just to
plant himself in the way of life, then keep
back his children, keep back his companion
in life, keep back his business partners-retuse
to go into heaven himself and refuse TO let
others 60 in.
A Young man, at the close Of a religious
service. was asked to decide the matter of his
souls salvation. He said: ~ will not do it
tonight" Well, the Christian man kept
m-:o--:4L A;r, nnd ho cold. ttI insist that